How Buchou Found the Christmas Spirit
by EllipsesBandit
Summary: A old rivalry sparks competition between Seigaku's strongest players. Just replace the courts with Christmas lights. A TezFuji holiday beginning. Now complete! Merry Christmas!
1. Old Rivalries

_**How Buchou Found the Christmas Spirit**_

_Chapter One: Old Rivalries_

_Author: The EllipsesBandit..._

_Disclaimer: Tenipuri and all problems/addictions resulting thereof are the sole fault of Konomi Takeshi and not me._

_Rating: K+ for shounen-ai fluff_

_Pairings: TezFuji, Golden Pair (implied... but we all know about the Golden Pair)_

_Summary: An old rivalry sparks a holiday competition between Seigaku's two strongest players._

_  
A/N: Hurray! I started something new! I was hoping to get an idea for the season and while my original idea of a shopping adventure ran away, I think I like this story better. For those of you keeping track, this is set the Christmas of second year. Read, enjoy (I hope), and review if you've got a second and feel like giving me some self-esteem for Chrsitmas._

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"Fuji, take it off of my head."

"But it looks so festive," the tensai protested. "And look. It lights up!" Fuji pressed a button on the battery pack in his hand causing the Christmas lights on the reindeer antlers to light up and blink in time to the tune of "Jingle Bell Rock."

Tezuka did not dignify the comment with a response. If he held perfectly still, the other people in the store might think he was a mannequin and ignore him.

After about twenty seconds under Tezuka's best glare, Fuji sighed and reached to remove the headband. He went about this process much more slowly than he had jamming the antlers onto his teammate. Now, Fuji lingered to make sure the cord didn't get tangled in Tezuka's glasses, letting his fingers trail through the buchou's hair. Fuji generally found excuses like this to get close to Tezuka at least once a day, though never more than twice. Tezuka noticed, but said nothing about it, as always.

"A little Christmas spirit probably wouldn't kill you," the shorter boy chided.

"One can never be too cautious. What are we here for?"

Placing the display antlers back on the shelf, Fuji consulted his list. "A string of running lights--multi-colored--, gold spray paint, and an extension cord."

Tezuka snatched a box of Christmas lights from the shelf next to the antlers, handing them to Fuji for approval. Ignoring Tezuka's discomfort, Fuji mumbled thoughts to himself. "He didn't tell me what length he needs. I believe this is for the windows, so perhaps I should get two shorter--"

Before Fuji had even finished his sentence, Tezuka grabbed two boxes of shorter light strings. "I'll go get the extension cord. What size?"  
"Did you need to be somewhere, Tezuka?" Fuji asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're acting like you're in a hurry."

"It's just crowded in here," Tezuka muttered as two children waving over-sized candy canes barrelled past him. Also the shelf opposite them contained some very eerie singing snowmen. If he showed any sign of aversion to them right now, though, Fuji would undoubtedly purchase them and permanently mount them in the tennis clubroom.

"You probably think this is ridiculous," Fuji said, as the two began maneuvering towards a less crowded aisle.

"Yes."

Fuji smiled. "It's just been a few years since my father's had enough time off to properly celebrate. And after he heard about the contest this year, he got a little excited. Besides, it's only once a year. Doesn't your family decorate?"

"Not to this degree." This was Fuji's fourth mission to the store this week. Tezuka was fairly certain the Fuji's could host a laser light show with the amount of extension cords they'd purchased. Knowing his teammate's family, that might not be out of the question.

"Thank you for coming with me anyway," Fuji smiled, handing Tezuka two cans of weather resistent gold spray paint.

Tezuka shrugged as he was relegated to pack animal status yet again. He supposed he could have said no when Fuji invited him, but it wasn't so far out of his way. And if Fuji carried all of the eclectic supplies home by himself, he could strain his shoulder muscles which would hinder his tennis next season. Looking at it from that perspective, accompanying Fuji was his responsibilty as the tennis team's new captain.

His train of reasoning abruptly ended as Fuji's voice asked, "What did you think of those animatronic snowmen? I think the living room window could use some more embellishment."

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"I'm home," Tezuka announced, slipping off his shoes.

"Dinner, Kunimitsu," Tezuka's mother called. He went to help her set the table. "You were out for a while after school again," she remarked, handing him a stack of plates.

"I was helping Fuji with some errands."

She began spooning rice into bowls. "You should have brought him over. Fuji-kun's such a polite young man."

"He was busy," Tezuka said quickly. His mom liked Fuji far too much for his own comfort. "He's helping his father set up Christmas decorations."

"What a dutiful son." She bopped him lightly on the shoulder with the rice paddle. "You should ask your father if he wants to decorate this year. It'd give you two a chance to spend time together this vacation."

"What would?" Tezuka Kuniharu entered the room along with Tezuka's grandfather, the latter frowning disapprovingly at his son's loosened tie and unbuttoned shirt.

"The Fuji's are decorating their house for the holidays," Tezuka's mother said, bringing a bowl of curry to the center of the table. "It's been a few years since we've really decorated, hasn't it? It might make a nice weekend project for you boys."

Tezuka's father looked sideways. "Ayana, you know how my back gets climbing ladders...ow!" He shrank under the smack from the eldest member of the Tezuka family.

"Quit whining. I could string this whole house end to end and still have enough energy to catch any kids trying to steal the hat off the snowman again."

"Wonderful. It can be a family project then." Tezuka's mother beamed, causing all three men in the room to stare at her.

Kunimitsu sighed, knowing they'd already lost. Might as well enjoy the last meal they had without any broken limbs. "Itadakimasu."

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Tezuka expected the sudden unpacking of Christmas paraphernalia from the garage. He expected to give up the next weekend in favor of climbing slick roof tops and adhering strings of lights. He expected the frequent power outages as his father and grandfather attempted to connect seven electric devices into a single plug.

What he did not expect was his mother baking several trays of lemon bars and dragging him over to the Fuji's house Saturday morning.

"Reconnaissance, Kunimitsu," was all she told him when he asked. Tezuka had no idea what she meant and just followed the orders of carrying the baked goods.

Fuji was balanced precariously on a ladder next to a second story window when they arrived, his brother holding the bottom and looking bored. The younger Fuji noticed the visitors first.

"Aniki! Your--" he looked like he had several choice pet names for Tezuka at the moment, but one glare from the buchou silenced him, "-- _friend_ is here!"

Fuji turned, several nails falling out of his mouth and onto his brother's head as he exclaimed, "Tezuka!" He scrambled down from his perch, ignoring Yuuta's shouts of annoyance. "Tezuka-san, how nice to see you again," he said quickly, the hood of his blue parka flipping up as he bowed. Yuuta muttered something about forgetting the amount of work to be done and stormed inside.

"The decorations look lovely, Fuji-kun," Tezuka's mother beamed. "Is your mother home? The cold weather makes me want to bake, and I just don't have enough mouths to feed at home. I thought perhaps your family might make use of these."

Fuji thanked her, inviting them both in with a quizzical look to Tezuka who could only shrug in response.

They stepped into the foyer, just in time for Fuji's mother to call, "Syuusuke, did your father find the wire clippers? If not I found an extra set in--" she stopped as she caught sight of her guests.

"Yoshiko-senpai, it's been too long since we've seen each other!"

"Senpai?" Fuji whispered to Tezuka who blinked in confusion.

Fuji's mother's look of shock quickly morphed into the calm smile her son had inherited. "Ayana-chan. Is that you?"

"I heard you had moved back to the neighborhood." Tezuka's mother was talking in the voice she used when his grandfather complained about her cooking. He instinctively took a step away, which caused him to bump into Fuji's shoulder. He managed not to jump away, though it probably wouldn't have mattered seeing as the tensai was busy watching the two women in wide-eyed fascination.

"A year and a half ago," Fuji's mother nodded.

"I can't believe it took me this long to say hello, especially with our sons becoming such good friends."

"Indeed. What a poor hostess, I am. Please come in. It won't take me long to get some tea ready." Tezuka recognized that tone as well. Fuji used that cordial tone while inviting people onto the courts for one of his vengeance matches.

"I'm afraid we can't stay too long today. I just came by to bring you a goodwill gift. All the work your family's doing for the competition must be making them hungry." She nudged Tezuka forward with the lemon bars, making him feel a little too like a human shield for his own comfort.

"How kind of you, though really it shouldn't take them too much longer. Back in Chiba, we won the neighborhood decorating contest four years in a row."

"Really? That's quite an impressive title, though I think you'll find the competition here is a little steeper."

The smile on Fuji's mother's face suddenly appeared more shark-like. "Just like old times, ne?"

"Indeed. Good luck, Yoshiko-senpai."

"To you as well. Syuusuke, come get the wire clippers for your father." Fuji looked like he wanted to protest, but thought better of it. Instead, he took the tray of lemon bars from Tezuka, hurriedly mouthing 'I'll call you later,' before darting into the kitchen.

Tezuka and his mother bowed and left, the boy waiting until they were two houses down from Fuji's before asking, "Kaa-san, you know Fuji's mother?"

"Of course. Did I never tell you we went to school together?"

"No."

"I must have forgotten." She breezed down the sidewalk as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened that day.

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_The EllipsesBandit...'s Commentary_

_1. I will admit to most of this fic stemming from my holiday Tezuka and Fuji reindeer plushies. You know this is the second time I've but a buchou in antlers. And Yukimura already wears the reindeer suit in Tenipuri Family Christmas. Hmmm... oh Kippei!_

_2. Yes I know Tezuka and Fuji's mums are technically four years apart, but I'm altering it for the sake of plot device. Tezuka's mum is very smart and skipped a year. There._


	2. Construction

**_How Buchou Found the Christmas Spirit_**

_Chapter 2: Construction_

_A/N: I really hope I get this all posted by Christmas, but I'm in the middle of moving, so it may be delayed. In any case, got chapter 2 polished in time, so Merry Christmas!_

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"She wouldn't tell me anything," Fuji growled by way of greeting as he met Tezuka outside the school gates. He'd said it wasn't safe to talk on the phone and demanded Tezuka meet him in "neutral territory." His breath came out in angry puffs of white as he continued, "But I got my father to tell me that our mothers went to the same high school and were on the dance team together. Apparently, your mother was a freshman when my mother was a senior, and there was some competition between them. He wouldn't tell me anything else, though."

Tezuka nodded. "I thought as much."

"Did your mother tell you anything?"

"No. Just that they were teammates."

"No one in your family's big on elaborating, are they?" Fuji asked, raising an eyebrow. "No matter. We'll just have to do some further investigation."

Tezuka frowned. "Why?"

"So that our mothers don't 'accidentally' electrocute one another during this whole Christmas decoration thing, of course! I haven't seen my mother that mad since my father bought her a set of cookbooks for her birthday."

"This competition is pretty ridiculous," Tezuka admitted, leaning against the school gate.

"Absolutely ridiculous," Fuji agreed, moving to lean next to Tezuka. "I think our electricity bill as gone up at least 5000 yen just from from the practice runs.

"Ours is at least 6000. And I've probably strung ten meters of lights on the roof alone.

"Try twenty. And don't get me started on the animatronics."

Tezuka shuddered, remembering the snowmen in the store. "Animatronics are disturbing. My family's only using still statues."

Fuji raised an eyebrow. "Good luck scoring points in the originality portion if you don't have any moving pieces then."

"Originality is more than gimmicks," Tezuka protested.

"Animatronics aren't gimmicks. They give displays a sense of motion and --" Fuji stopped in the middle of an expansive gesture probably meant to imitate a waving Santa Claus. "What are we doing?"

Tezuka blinked. The argument began out of nowhere that he could discern-- as natural as one of their rounds of serve and volley. "Debating the finer points of holiday displays."

Shaking his head as if to clear it, Fuji continued, "You see, _this _is why we need to investigate."

"Agreed. I'll ask my father as soon as I get home." Tezuka moved to leave, but stopped when Fuji's gloved hand grabbed his sleeve.

"Ne, let's stay here for a bit. I don't want to go back to the war zone just yet," he said smiling. Flakes of snow drifted down from the trees they stood next to, dusting Fuji's hair artistically before melting away. The illusion was disrupted when the weight of snow gave way dumping a good three inches down the back of Fuji's parka and making him let out a "Gack!" of surprise.

Tezuka tried to maintain his stoic image, but failed.

"Or we could go somewhere warmer," Fuji muttered, trying to reach backwards to pull snow out of his hood. Thick sleeves made this task awkward at best

"Hold still," Tezuka managed, once the snickers subsided. Fuji did, letting Tezuka dust off his jacket and remove the clumps of snow near his neck. He noticed Fuji holding his breath while he did this and was glad he could blame the flush on his cheeks on the cold. He took a quick step away as soon as he finished.

Fuji thanked him, his usual smile back in place. "Now I'm freezing. Come get some hot chocolate with me?"

Deciding he didn't feel like going home yet either, Tezuka agreed.

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Tezuka's father dodged his questions for half an hour before Tezuka got him in a position to talk. That position was clutching at the roof's shingles while holding a screwdriver in his mouth and attempting to affix a tasteful white sleigh to the top of the house.

"Tou-san, what is wrong with Kaa-san?"

Tezuka-san took the screwdriver out of his mouth, "Hold the sled straight, Kunimitsu, I can't get these screws in a stable position."

Tezuka readjusted the sled while trying to keep his weight evenly distributed. He wasn't afraid of heights, but that didn't make the ground look any softer. Satisfied neither he nor the sleigh was going to topple over the edge, he repeated his question.

"It's not important."

"If it's not important, why are we risking our lives for this monument to commercialism?"

Tezuka-san sighed, looking his son in the eye. Coming to a decision, he said, "If I tell you, you cannot let your mother know that you know or she'll know that since I'm the only one who knows that I told you. Understood?"

His father was one of the many reasons Tezuka preferred short sentences. "Understood."

Tezuka-san readjusted himself into a sitting position, checking below for signs of his wife before continuing. "Your mother always loved to dance. In middle school, people called her a prodigy. She was... flawless, amazing..." His eyes took on a wistful, faraway look. "I wish you could have seen her back then."

Tezuka waited patiently for his father to get back on the subject.

"In any case, she started high school and everyone was blown away by her skill. She joined a championship team, the captain of which was a girl named Aiba Yoshiko."

"Fuji's mother."

"Yes. She was also world-class, had won Nationals with her team two years in a row and was looking for a third. However, with your mother on the team, the attention spilled over to the new prodigy. The team divided over the two of them, divisions that kept them from even qualifying for Nationals. I don't know all the details, but I heard it was pretty ugly. Your mother blamed her. She blamed your mother. The rivalry continued throughout the rest of the year... and I guess through today."

Tezuka blinked. He'd seen his mother's old dance trophies, and he knew he'd inherited his competitive streak from somewhere, but the story still seemed rather far-fetched. "If that's true, why is she always so nice to Fuji?"

Tezuka's father raised an eyebrow. "You've heard of crocodiles letting birds sit in their mouths to pick up any leftovers?"

"Yes..."

"They only do that until they get hungry."

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The days passed, and the monuments grew.

Tezuka's mother selected the theme of "Arctic Christmas." Aside from a blinding amount of colored lights lining the roof and every window, the yard now hosted a menagerie of plaster forest animals in various stages of decorating a series of small, aluminum trees. Bathed in alternating red and green lights stood reindeer, squirrels, penguins (despite Tezuka's protest that penguins did not live in the Arctic)... all frozen while climbing the side of the house, darting to cross the path, stringing garland around pink, minature trees. Everywhere. Inescapable. The polar bears, however, were the worst. There were four of them-- two parents and two cubs--each wearing a santa hat and serving as the nauseatingly adorable centerpiece to the whole display. Tezuka deeply resented the naming of one of the cubs after him.

Still, as disturbingly cheerful as his house now was, Fuji's was monumentally worse-- largely due to the plethora of animatronic elves. Working from the theme of "Santa's Workshop," the Fuji's had filled their yard, roof, windows, and every other available surface with various figurines crafting toys or loading the garishly red sleigh. A waving Mrs. Claus bid farewell to a Santa that bellowed "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!" every three minutes. And the snowmen. Tezuka couldn't even look at the snowmen with their sunken, hollow eyes and their twig arms brandishing candy canes like machetes. No. Tezuka now only traversed the three blocks to Fuji's house when forced to gather updates for his increasingly competitive mother.

Six days, twelve hours, 39 minutes and Christmas would be over, Tezuka reminded himself on his way to the store, realizing he was starting to sound like Inui.

"And your mission today?" chirped a voice from behind him.

Tezuka slowed his steps, allowing Fuji to catch up. "Gold garland. She wants to line the garage door, now. Yours?"

Fuji shook his head. "Classified. If I tell you, I'm disowned."

"It's another one of those snowmen, isn't it?"

Fuji laughed. "What's wrong with the snowmen?"

"Nothing," Tezuka grumbled, mentally adding, _until they become sentient and revolt against their makers_.

Fuji studied him for a moment. "What did you do to your ankle?"

"Nothing. It's fine."

"Then why are you favoring your right foot?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

Tezuka sighed. "I slipped off the ladder and caught my anklet. It's fine."

Fuji nodded. "I got my coat hooked on the gutter and wrenched my shoulder." He rotated the arm arm a few times, wincing. "If they keep this up, we're both going to be benched for next tennis season."

"Don't joke about that," Tezuka warned, shutting his eyes in frustration, naturally just before approaching a patch of ice on the sidewalk. Tennis reflexes kicked in about an eighth of a second too late as Tezuka felt his feet slide forward while the rest of him flew backwards, only slowed by Fuji catching him under the arm halfway down. Unfortunately, Fuji caught him using his injured shoulder, and the two of them both ended up on the ice anyway.

Laughing, Fuji brushed ice crystals off of his pants. "Told you. Be a shame if you had to default the Christmas match due to injury."

"Even if I did, everything's more or less finished. We just have to wait for the judges," Tezuka grumbled, picking himself up.

Fuji arched one amused eyebrow, not bothering to get up. "So you think you'd win if the judging was today?"

"Depending on the judges' tastes, it's possible."

"Tastes?" Now Fuji drew himself up, his voice entering the dangerously polite register.

"Our families are appealing to different audiences."

"Only one of which is tasteful?"

There it was again. Every conversation the two had had over the last week always twisted this direction soon enough. Tezuka knew he should let it drop, particularly since he didn't actually care about the damn competition. Yet he still heard himself saying, "If the judges are using traditional standards, I believe my house will win."

"And if they have a degree of imagination, I believe mine will win."  
Tezuka did think the Fujis' display had imagination: dark and deeply warped imagination, but imagination nonetheless. "We'll find out soon."

"Indeed." Fuji's voice had gone as cold as the melted snow soaking Tezuka's clothes. It was ridiculous how a supposed genius could get so worked up over this feud. It was ridiculous how Tezuka couldn't bring himself to back down. "I need to get these errands finished," Fuji finally said. "Good luck, Tezuka."

"Fuji..." The tensai stopped, turning around with a haughty expression only slightly marred by the purple penguins adorning his scarf. Tezuka wasn't sure what he'd wanted to say after that, so he settled for, "Good luck to you also."

Fuji nodded and swept down the sidewalk. Tezuka decided he'd buy the garland another time.

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_The EllipsesBandit...'s commentary_

_1. Fuji's mum's maiden name is Aiba due to reason's very clear to any fan of Tenimyu 2cd and now 3rd cast. Aiba Hiroki can be Fuji forever!_


	3. Sabotage

_**How Buchou Found the Christmas Spirit**_

_Chapter Three: Sabotage_

_A/N: Wee! I've been stuck in Blizzard2006 which kind of threw off my posting schedule, but I'm back. Hopefully will get most of it posted by Christmas, but it might turn into a New Year's fic._

_Every once in a while, I get the urge to let Yuuta win. Poor little guy. He just needs to get out of Rudolpho. Soon. Maybe things will get better once Mizuki graduates. _

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"What's wrong with Fuji?" Oishi asked. In a desperate attempt to escape preparations for judgment day, Tezuka had more or less ordered Oishi to join him for lunch. Assuaging his mothers desire for him to develop social skills was the only excuse that got him out of his duties. Of course, the first subject Oishi would bring up would be Fuji.

"Ask him." Tezuka took a sullen bite of ramen.

"I would, but Eiji says he stopped answering his phone. Are you guys fighting?"

"What would that have to do with anything?"

"Fuji's shut himself inside his house, and you're inviting people to lunch. I can't help but think this reversal is somehow related." Oishi stirred his ramen, eyes probing Tezuka who met them without flinching.

"I invited you to lunch because I was hungry. If I'd wanted to be interviewed on my personal life, I would have called Inui."

"So this is a personal problem then?" The vice-captain's face broke into a triumphant smile as Tezuka inwardly cursed. "I knew it. Is this because he hasn't played a match with you yet?"

For once in Tezuka's life, he'd thought tennis had nothing to do with the issue. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"You can't beat each other in tennis yet, so you'll compete in this Christmas thing instead?" Oishi explained.

"The two are completely unrelated." Tezuka took a bite of his lunch to emphasize the point.

"Uh huh. You want my advice--and don't say you didn't ask for it because you wouldn't have invited me if you weren't secretly worried about this-- let your parents fight it out over the decorations and get Fuji a nice Christmas gift."

Tezuka didn't bother to argue because Oishi would never believe him. Oishi had been trying to "help" Tezuka for the better part of a year now. Oishi had ideas ... theories about him and Fuji. He failed to realize that not everyone could deal with a Kikumaru hanging off of their shoulders all day.

Oishi was looking at him expectantly. Was he supposed to respond to that? "A gift?"

"A good or service given from one person to another usually to express emotions such as friendship, gratitude--"

"I know what a gift is."

"So humble yourself a little, and get him something. Think. Did he mention anything he wants? Drop any hints?"

Tezuka considered. "He said he wanted to do more leg strength training before next season."

Oishi paused mid-chew to stare blankly at Tezuka. After swallowing, he warned, "If you buy him ankle weights, he will hit you with them."

"Well what do you suggest?"

Oishi clicked his chopsticks together in thought. "Something unique. Something other people might not think to get him."

"That's helpful." Tezuka stabbed at a piece of pork.

"I could call Eiji. He knows him better than I do."

"I am not going shopping with Kikumaru."

"You should figure something out, then. You're both useless when you're fighting," Oishi sighed, returning his attention to his lunch.

"I don't need to. Everything is fine."

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Two nights later, everything was decidedly not fine as Tezuka found himself crouched behind the candy cane fortress that was Fuji's front yard, replaying the scene that led him there:

_"Kunimitsu, it's your duty as a member of this family." His mother brandished a spatula in his direction and appeared to have grown half a head taller._

_"It's sabotage."_

_"It's safety. Some of that byzantine monstrosity needs to be taken down or the entire neighborhood is going to catch fire."_

_"You're not afraid Fuji-san is going to win?" Tezuka marveled._

_Immediately after asking this, Tezuka realized his mistake. He swore he saw sparks flicker behind his mother's pupils. "You know, Kunimitsu, I don't know that I like this disobedient streak you seem to be developing. Perhaps it's the influence of your school. I've heard some wonderful things about San Rudolpho Gakuen."_

One piece. He'd take one piece to appease his family. And then he'd get the hell out of here before Fuji-san placed some sort of voodoo curse on him, which his mother implied could happen. Looking over the darkened lawn, he debated his choices. He'd had to wait until after eleven to begin his mission, late enough for the Fuji's to turn off the display so that the effect was more that of a North Pole graveyard than Santa's workshop. The gingerbread men now looked suspiciously like tombstones; the Santa--frozen in mid wave-- an absurdly jolly shinigami.

Tezuka shook his head. He was Tezuka Kunimitsu: new captain of the esteemed Seigaku tennis club, honor student, judo brown belt. This was not the time to develop an overactive imagination. He had work to do.

His first instinct was to grab the nearest elf and run, but then he remembered the snowmen. They were staring at him now with those empty, coal eyes. If he brought one of them to his mother, she'd probably burn it, an oddly satisfying image after these weeks of irritation. And the snowmen were small enough that he wouldn't be doing much real sabotage. He had a feeling his mother wanted to make the statement of thieving lawn ornaments more than do actual damage anyway.

Decided, Tezuka crept up the sidewalk, careful not to leave footprints in the snow and expecting a tennis ball to hit him in the head at any moment. But the lights in the Fuji house all remained dark as Tezuka gently detached the smallest snowman from the display. No alarms sounded. The candy cane in its hands didn't turn into a switchblade. The night remained eerily calm. Moving at what he felt was a dignified trot, Tezuka escaped the Fuji's lawn.

He stuck to the side paths between houses, not wanting to explain to any patrolling policemen what he was doing dressed in all black with a three foot snowman under his arm. The Murata family had a convenient break in their hedge that would allow him to shortcut through to his own yard. Tezuka darted through it only to collide with two equally shadow-clad figures on the other side. The first fell backwards, catching himself; the second slammed into the first before richocheting backwards into the snow.

"Damn it, Aniki!" the fallen shape hissed, "Why'd you stop?!"  
His eyes adjusting to the surroundings, Tezuka recognized the Fuji brothers in matching black skull caps, each carrying a plaster polar bear cub.

Fuji stared at Tezuka for a moment, eyes wide in a mixture of shock and embarassment ... at least until he noticed Tezuka's captive.

"I don't suppose," Fuji began, "You'd believe there was a light on this bear that won't light on one side?"

Tezuka shook his head, wishing he were in a position to be righteous. "I vote we exchange abominations and never speak of this again."

Fuji considered this, "I guess that would be the most adult solution."

Neither of them made a move to do so.

The stare down was only broken by Tezuka being slammed in the chest with a polar bear head as Yuuta barrelled into and then past him. The buchou managed to grab the santa hat off the cub before Yuuta raced off into the night, shouting, "Screw that, losers!"

Fuji's chuckle broke through the disbelief that held Tezuka suspended. "As I said, the adult solution..." He offered his hostage to Tezuka. "My apologies, but our mother did threaten to send us both to Rokkaku if we didn't at least try."

Tezuka relinquished the snowman. "San Rudolpho."

Eyes opening wide in alarm, Fuji handed the snowman back.

Tezuka felt the beginnings of a smile tugging at his face. He put a stop to it as quickly as possible, but Fuji probably noticed anyway. "She won't really," Tezuka assured him.

"I'll see that the other bear gets back." Fuji said, looking at the trail his brother left in the snow. "Yuuta gets a little competitive sometimes."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't comment on that if I were you."

"I didn't."

And then, Fuji leaned forward untiil his forehead rested on Tezuka's collarbone. Tezuka's breath caught in his throat. Fuji made excuses to invade his personal space, true, but never this boldly. Never without any excuse. He stood as rigid as one of the plaster animals on his lawn, but Fuji remained there, sighing, "This game is getting tiresome."

"The judging's tomorrow night." Tezuka looked for a way a to gracefully escape from this position. "They should cool off after that."

"Yes but will we still be speaking to each other?"

"It's a ridiculous competition. It doesn't matter."

"Then let me win."

"No."

"See?"

Tezuka did. He also saw that Fuji hadn't removed his weight from against him and that he couldn't back away without causing the other boy to fall. Tezuka realized this was probably Fuji's trap to keep him from leaving immediately, and that it would serve the tensai right to lose his balance, but he still couldn't bring himself to back away. Instead, he said in his most firm tone, "It will be fine. It's Christmas decorations."

Fuji didn't appear convinced, but he straightened up, "I'd better catch up to Yuuta if I'm going to get that bear back." He darted around Tezuka and through the hedge without saying good bye. Without Fuji's body heat next to him, Tezuka shivered.

A gift, he thought remembering Oishi's words. If it would get him back on normal terms with Fuji, he supposed it was worth the sacrificed dignity.

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_The EllipsesBandit...'s commentary_

_1. Umm... actually this one is pretty clean of inside jokes. Whisper and CrimsonVictory understand the Murata reference, but it's not really funny to anyone else. Snowmen do freak my lil' sis out, but that's about it. I guess if I'm being nice to fiction Yuuta, I have to be mean to my real life version. Love you, Teffi!_


	4. Amends

_**How Buchou Found the Christmas Spirit**_

_Chapter 4: Amends_

_A/N: K, gonna try to get a chapter a day up which should mean the last one appears on Christmas if I'm not too busy doing that whole "Family" and "Christmas" thing. Bah humbug. This next chapter was originally the only idea I had for a fic… and then it exploded as my stories seem to enjoy doing. Shopping with Buchou, I thought. Yeah, that'd be fun. And then BOOM No Christmas one shot for me. Ah well, I like this plot better, though I find Kikumaru extremely difficult to write without stereotyping him. This is why I can't do Golden Pair fics. Hope I did Eiji justice here. _

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Purchasing a gift is considerably more difficult when one's allowance has just been revoked on account of failure to sabotage the enemy. At least Fuji had gotten the other polar bear cub back before his mother woke up. Tezuka replaced its hat when he left to shovel the sidewalk. He then made the single most awkward call of his life before taking a bus to the mall.

Kikumaru met him at the mall's entrance, an absurd grin on his face.

"You are to tell Fuji nothing of this," Tezuka stated. "The same goes for Oishi."

Kikumaru mimed zipping his mouth shut.

Tezuka shifted uncomfortably, looking around at the shuffling masses of holiday shoppers. _Like sheep_, he thought, _bargain hunting sheep._ Kikumaru still hadn't said anything, seeming to be waiting for Tezuka to do something.

"Well?" Tezuka asked.

The silence lasted another four seconds before Kikumaru's face erupted in a giggle fit through which he managed the string of words: "I'm sorry, Buchou, but I _knew_ this would happen someday and nobody believed me and now it's finally happened and-"

"Kikumaru."

The acrobat stopped for a breath. "Hoi?"  
"10 laps."

Kikumaru blinked. "Buchou, we're at the mall. And you needed my help to shop."

"We will begin when you've completed your rounds."

"But ..." He looked around uncertainly. "You can't _really_ make me run laps here."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow. "Then I will get back on the bus and go home until such time as I can make you run laps again."

Kikumaru rolled his eyes, moving off at a jog and muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Fujiko better appreciate the things I..." before he was out of earshot. Tezuka waited, sitting on the edge of a fountain and attempting to give off powerful "stay the hell away vibes" to any shoppers who got too close.

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Kikumaru became a much more tolerable person after his initial energy burst was depleted. This, however, did not make the prospect of selecting a gift for Fuji any easier, particularly when Kikumaru appeared to have at least six ulterior motives, most of which were highlighted by the first store they entered.

"Come on, Buchou. Fujiko shops here all the time." Kikumaru rolled his eyes at the entrance to a small boutique, called (according to the hot pink English letters on the sign) "GAIN." Tezuka entered warily, eyeing the store's patrons most of whom were wearing mesh, fur, or some combination of the two.

"What about a hat?" Kikumaru proceeded to try on several styles of knit caps, featuring embellishments ranging from butterflies to skulls, sometimes in combination.

Outside of last night's cat burglar cosplay, Tezuka had never seen Fuji in a hat before. Verbally, he only grumbled and moved over toward the scarves. Fuji did wear scarves from time to time. They were warm; practical. He removed a dark blue one with silver thread woven into the fabric, checking it for misspelled English. Nope. Perfect. He was fini--

He looked at the price tag.

"Kikumaru."

"Hoi?" The acrobat looked up from his conversation with an anorexic looking store attendant.

"I'm leaving." If Fuji really shopped here and this wasn't just a ploy to mortify Tezuka, Fuji shopped with someone else's credit card.

Tezuka ignored Kikumaru's protests, which continued for a good seven minutes before a reminder about budget constraints quieted him. Sullen, Fuji's friend proceeded to drag Tezuka around the mall into various esoteric stores he claimed Fuji shopped at. They first visited the billiard shop, but Fuji already had a personal cue and case. Neither Tezuka nor Kikumaru knew enough about photography to choose something useful in that store. And cacti seemed too sharp to be considered a peace offering. By two-o-clock, Kikumaru sat slumped in an irritated heap in the food court, demanding Tezuka buy him lunch to make up for the wasted day.

"If I'd known you were going to be this difficult, I'd have made Oishi come with," Kikumaru sighed, wolfing down the burger that cut another slice out of Tezuka's gift budget.

"Fuji is the difficult one."

Kikumaru rolled his eyes, swallowing another bite. "You still don't get it, do you? It doesn't really matter what you get him. Just that you get him _something_."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow.

With a huff, Kikumaru clarified, "Fuji doesn't really care what you get him--" Tezuka started to make a suggestion, but Kikumaru cut him off. "--as long as it's not something completely insensitive like tennis stuff-- but it's more important that you just give him something, no matter who wins the competition."

"Why?" Tezuka blinked.

Kikumaru threw his hands in the air, shouting loud enough for the entire food court to hear, "So he knows that you still like him!"

Tezuka shut his eyes, pretending for a moment that several dozen people had not just turned to stare at the two of them. Kikumaru didn't seem perturbed by the situation, just continued munching fries at an irritated pace. Once he was sure everyone had stopped staring, Tezuka said, "That's ridiculous."

"That's what I told him," Kikumaru mumbled around a mouthful of fries, "But he's worried that if he wins, you'll be jealous, and if you win, he'll be jealous and you'll think he's a loser and either way you might not want to be friends anymore, let alone..." he trailed off, eyes suddenly large in worry. Then he returned to his lunch as if he'd said nothing at all.

As Tezuka thought before: ulterior motives. He waited expectantly for a few moments, and when that failed to work, he prompted, "Let alone what?"

"Hoi?"

"You said 'let alone.'"

"I did? No I didn't."

"Lying to a captain is a minimum of 25 laps."

Kikumaru menaced a burnt fry in Tezuka's direction. "Nyah, you can't make me run any more laps! I promised Fujiko I wouldn't say anything, and besides if you haven't figured it out yet, you don't deserve any help." Kikumaru avoided the glare Tezuka shot his way by staring obstinately at his soda.

Wonderful. Kikumaru's slip proved what Tezuka had suspected for some time, and that meant that Fuji's emotions were currently as taut as the strings on his racquet. An emotional Fuji was irrational, volatile, and completely unpredictable; Tezuka had seen it before, though usually it centered around his fierce defense of his brother or teammates. Now, it applied to him, meaning one misstep could blacklist him permanently in Fuji's mind.

And Tezuka realized - with a moderate degree of surprise - that he didn't want that. Maybe he wasn't quite clear on his own feelings towards what Fuji'd been hinting at, but he certainly didn't want their friendship, such as it was, to end. He enjoyed Fuji's company more than that of most people. Socializing usually left Tezuka feeling awkward and clumsy, but not with Fuji. The tensai was quiet, never speaking just to hear himself talk and not pressuring others into conversation either. When he did speak, he was clever, witty, and appreciated that Tezuka was smart enough to get most of his jokes.

Fuji never clung to him like any of the girls from school or his father's office. He didn't pry Tezuka with questions about his arm, even though he subtly monitored Tezuka's condition at practice. He didn't need Tezuka to watch out for him, preferring to deal with problems himself, and he was usually capable of doing so.

Fuji was also discreet, both about Tezuka's injury and ... other secrets he'd discovered. Last year, Tezuka's father let Fuji into the house, allowing him to unwittingly interrupt the Saturday morning sentai ritual Tezuka had been observing since the age of four. Fuji hadn't laughed; hadn't broadcast it to the school. Instead, he'd smiled, commented on how the current generation's mecha didn't compare to last season's, and sat down to join him.

And while he would never admit it, he liked Fuji's smile: the real smile occasionally let slip around Tezuka. The buchou knew if this feud carried on, he'd probably never see that smile again. Losing the Christmas competition seemed petty next to losing that. If nothing else, he could make sure that didn't happen, and that their friendship remained stable.

A plan began developing in Tezuka's mind. Not a particularly appealing plan, but one that might work.

"Anything?" he asked Kikumaru, who jumped as if he hadn't expected Tezuka to speak to him again.

After checking to make sure he wasn't to be assigned further laps for inappropriate insinuations, the acrobat explained, "Nyah. Not _anything _anything. But anything you wouldn't give to somebody else."

Tezuka decided his plan met this qualifcation. He sighed. "I will have to ask you for one more favor."

Kikumaru saluted with a smirk, "Hai, buchou!"

Tezuka sighed, taking a moment to stare at the mall's glass ceiling. This had better work.

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_The EllipsesBandit…'s commentary_

_The tenimyu jokes continue (two so far and at least one more in the future for those of you keeping score). GAIN is the boutique owned by Nagayan of Tenimyu Kikumaru fame. I'm moving its location here because I wanted it. It's my crackverse and I can make Tezuka and Kikumaru shop wherever I want. Support Nagayan!_

_Yes, Tezuka and Fuji watch sentai for the mecha…just like me. Certainly wouldn't watch it for the spandex or the posing or barely concealed shounen-ai subplots. What Dekaranger marathon? Don't know what you're talking about. P.S. Whisper I hope you don't consider this stealing on account of _everyone_ loves sentai! _


	5. Judgement

_**How Buchou Found the Christmas Spirit**_

_Chapter Five: Judgement_

_A/N: Look at me post! Should have the next one ready Christmas day. My family's Christmas is being delayed until everybody gets here as all flights were delayed by Blizzard2006!!! So I'll probably be around to post. Y'all might have better things to do, but it'll be here when you get back. _

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Tezuka couldn't sleep the night before the judges were scheduled to observe his house; he kept having dreams that the lawn ornaments started moving and were trying to break in through the roof. He woke up at least three times to imagined scrabbling across the shingles. Though the day passed uneventfully-- that is without any sign of Fuji-- his house remained a storm of tension. With his father and grandfather at work, Tezuka was left to deal with his mother's last minute preparations the entirety of the day. By sunset, he was ready to lock the door to his room rather than witness the judgement. However, his mother made certain he was presentable and stationed on the driveway with cups of tea to hand to the city officials.

Said city officials were late, the temperature had dropped below zero, and Tezuka was in no mood for his mother's cheerful "Welcome!" when the car finally arrived.

"Tezuka-san," said a portly gentlemen in a peach parka. He carried a clipboard in his hand. "How nice to see you again. We all appreciated the lemon bars at the office."

"How flattering. Really they're so simple to make," Tezuka's mother beamed. He'd never seen her bat her eyelashes before. Never. She nudged him to pass out the cups of tea.

The other two judges seemed less impressed by her attempted bribery, nodding a brisk greeting and staring expectantly at the dark house.

Still wearing that overly-sweet smile, Tezuka-san elbowed her son, saying, "Kunimitsu, don't keep the judges waiting. They've been out all night and it's freezing."

Tezuka gladly stepped away from the gathering, moving to hit the series of switches inside the garage that would trigger the holiday monstrosity's unveiling. Hopefully they wouldn't take too long to figure their scores and he could get back inside to wrap Fuji's gift. Then they could put this stupid contest behind them and--

Tezuka's train of thought derailed as he flicked the switches in one motion... and nothing happened.

He flicked them off and on again. Still nothing. Well, not quite nothing, he realized. The ground lights went up, and about three strings on the roof and the trees, but well over half the lights remained dark, creating a rather messy hodgepodge of colored specks.

_Fuji!_

"Kunimitsu! All the switches!" his mother called. He tried them again, all the while knowing they wouldn't work. Scrabblings on the roof in the middle of the night. Why hadn't he checked?

He stormed out of the garage, down the driveway, calling that there appeared to be a wiring problem to his mother before stomping down the sidewalk. After all Fuji's talk about being tired of this competition and wanting to make sure he and Tezuka stayed on good terms, he still went and sabotaged them? He couldn't believe that Fuji...

... was flying down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.

"I don't believe you!" Fuji shouted, eyes open in fury. In the dim light from the streetlights glinting off the snow, they seemed an eerie electric blue. "I thought after last time we'd stopped this sabotage! What did you do?! Replace all the key bulbs with--"

Fuji's tirade stopped as he caught sight of the dark house just behind the two of them and Tezuka's mother frantically trying to explain the situation to the judges as they re-entered the car.

"It wasn't you?" he asked, his voice now so quiet Tezuka had to strain to hear it.

The buchou shook his head. "And that wasn't you?" he asked.

"Of course not. I told you--"

"Erm..."

The throat clearing next to them paused their conversation. They turned to see a sheepish Kawamura, still sitting on a bicycle with a delivery basket mounted on the back. "Taka-san?" Fuji blinked. "Did you need something?"

"Ah..." Kawamura stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. The other hand held a small box wrapped in gold paper. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I was asked to give this to you two."

Tezuka and Fuji exchanged a glance before Fuji asked, "By whom?"

"They said that it's all explained in the box, but I've got a few more sushi deliveries to make so I'll see you guys later, okay?" He shoved the box at Fuji and pedaled away across the slick ice, skidding a few times before catching his balance.

Fuji looked at Tezuka, who nodded and watched while the tensai unwrapped the gift. Inside was a slip of paper and about twenty Christmas light bulbs in varying sizes; some the size Tezuka's family used, and some that of the Fuji's.

He handed the box to Tezuka, unfolding the note and reading:

_Dear Tezuka and Fuji,_

_It is our opinion that the two of you should both get a grip on yourselves and stop this pointless competition at least until the tennis season starts up. In the meantime, apologize, hug, and be nice to each other again._

_Merry Christmas,_

_Oishi and Eiji _

Neither of them had much of a response for that; however, they were saved the awkward apologies by Tezuka's mother catching sight of Fuji and starting to walk too calmly toward them both.

"Run," Tezuka ordered, shoving the box back to Fuji. The tensai looked like he wanted to say something, but Tezuka's mother was closing the gap, and he fled down the sidewalk instead.

Tezuka turned back, straightening up and preparing to face the worst.

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_The EllipsesBandit…'s commentary_

_1. All this Dekaranger is making it very difficult not to shout "Judgement Time!" Whisper is probably the only person reading this who gets that reference._

_That's actually about it, I suppose. Service chapter is coming up next as per my pattern. Promise I wouldn't write a Christmas story without good TezuFuji fluff. _


	6. Exchange

_**How Buchou Found the Christmas Spirit**_

_Chapter Six: Exchange_

_A/N: Merry Christmas to all! Especially to Microgirl whom I don't believe I've thanked yet for beta-ing through this fic. Microgirl reins in the ellipses and keeps them from taking over. She also makes sure the service amount meets the daily intake of healthy fangirls. Also a big thanks to my reviewers who give me the self-esteem I need to write this. hugs_

_Must also give nods to embyr81788 who inspired the ending. I added my own twist on the idea, so I hope it doesn't feel like I stole anything. Everyone should give "Tokyo Lights" a read though as it's AWESOME!_

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The next day, the kitchen metamorphozed into dangerous war zone: far too many knives flying at too quick a pace for anyone's comfort. Tezuka remained in the living room, standing guard with his father and pretending to watch a parade on television.

"How long is this going to last?" Tezuka finally questioned after the first hour of such activity.

Tezuka-san leaned forward to pick up his mug of tea, then set it down as he realized it was still empty and would remain so until he had the courage to cross the no man's land between him and the tea kettle. With a resigned sigh, he asked, "You remember the time your aunt visited?"

Tezuka nodded. His aunt Shizuka spent the entire week making subtle comments about the household's upkeep, matters of cooking, even the upbringing of then ten-year-old Kunimitsu. The last day had been ... unpleasant to say the least.

"Probably longer than that."

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Tezuka jumped at the excuse to get a few steps further away from the battle zone in the kitchen. He wasn't too surprised to see to see Fuji at his doorstep. The rainbow-sprinkled bunt cake -- that was surprising.

"I've been assigned to offer your family a truce and a peace offering," Fuji stated. "Effective until December 1st of next year."

Tezuka's father joined them at the door, staring at the bunt cake with the eyes of a man whose breakfast appeared to be delayed until after the new year. "Did your mother bake that?" he asked.

Fuji shook his head, looking sideways. "Ah... no. My father, actually. We decided not to inform my mother of the proposed truce as she's somewhat ... busy this morning."

An uncharasteric battle cry accompanied by the gruesome sound of a cabbage head (at least Tezuka hoped it was a cabbage head) being split in half illustrated that Tezuka's mother was also "busy."

"May I come in?" Fuji asked, face assuming its usual innocence.

Tezuka turned to his father, whose hunger appeared to overcome whatever suspicions he might have possessed. He glanced at the kitchen, then at his son, pondering his options. Finally, he whispered, "I'll keep her away from your room. Be quiet." Snatching the cake, he ushered the two of them towards the staircase, eyes darting left and right to make sure his betrayal wasn't noticed.

Fuji chuckled as Tezuka closed his door as quietly as he could. "How long do you think we're going to have to sneak around like this?"

"Not long," Tezuka shrugged. "She'll want to get back to using you for inside information soon enough."

"Mn. My mother's already invited you over for dinner on Wednesday. Oishi and Eiji as well."

"She saw the paper." It wasn't a question. The newspaper lay open to the "local interest" page when Tezuka came downstairs: "Annual Holiday Display Winner: Oishi Hiroki-san." _"I couldn't have done it without the support of my family and neighbors," says Oishi-san. "I hadn't even planned on doing a large display this year, but my son convinced me of the importance of expressing how thankful I am during this season." _The photo featured the Oishi family --Kikumaru posing with them as naturally as if he lived there-- in front of a monstrous display entitled "Christmas Candyland." The two tennis players both smiled at the camera the way they did after winning a particularly underhanded doubles match.

"I think they might need to be taught something of a lesson after school gets back in session," Fuji breezed. "They both have a few extremely persistent fans who might enjoy a copy of their school schedules and a map of hang-outs and escape routes home."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow.

"Just a suggestion."

As captain, Tezuka couldn't openly endorse such a plan, though if he and Fuji were to walk home via the route that led by a bike trail the Golden Pair frequented, he couldn't be held responsible with what Fuji did with the information. He considered other pieces of Oishi's schedule he might accidentally let slip when Fuji said, "Ne, Tezuka, did you know there was a giant stuffed ham on your bed?"

Tezuka blinked, glancing at his bed and remembering while trying to keep his face from heating up. The only way to deal with situations like this was to remain absolutely adamant about their normalcy. Said stuffed animal (a three foot long and extremely festive pig wearing a Santa hat) was an early gift from his aunt who collected farm animals and believed everyone else should too. He informed Fuji of this, and then sat down using it as pillow to demonstrate its practicality.

Fuji nodded, posed no argument, and sat on the bed next to Tezuka. Reaching into a plastic bag he'd brought with him, the tensai began, "So you know, I'm not going to apologize for anything that happened. I'll probably do most of it again next year... except maybe the burglary part."

"Fine," said Tezuka, who hadn't planned on apologizing either.

"If that's settled, then I suppose you can still have your Christmas present." Fuji withdrew from his bag a large box elegantly wrapped in fuscia and silver paper. His expression as he presented it to Tezuka too closely resembled the look he got before performing a Higuma Otoshii for Tezuka to feel comfortable. The captain opened the package with the care of one defusing a large bomb.

A bomb probably would have made Tezuka jump less than the severed head of the plastic snowman that greeted him when he opened the box.

Fuji beamed with pride. "I thought when the weather warmed up we could play tennis with it. Or we could destroy it sooner, if you like."

"Sooner," Tezuka stated, shoving the lid back on the shoebox. And then, because he couldn't think of anything else to say, he said, "Thank you." Only Fuji could come up with a gift like that: personal, unique, and decidedly morbid. He supposed it was the perfect souvenier for this season.

"Ne... I wanted to buy you something, but my mother cut off my allowance until April for returning the polar bear."

"I get mine back in March," Tezuka sighed, reaching behind the pig where he had stashed Fuji's gift. Then, not sure why he was feeling suddenly nervous, he added, "I hope this will do anyway."

Fuji's eyes opened, searching Tezuka for some clue as to the small box's contents, but Tezuka didn't think he could give the answer away even if he were more prone to facial expressions. Fuji gingerly unwrapped the box in a way that suggested he'd rather be tearing the paper off but refused to look like a seven-year-old in front of Tezuka. Every fold was a concentrated battle against his instincts, but he managed. His face wrinkled in puzzlement as he removed the lid.

"It's a camera," he said.

Tezuka nodded.

Fuji picked the camera up, inspecting it before saying, "It's my camera. The one I lent to Eiji a couple days ago."

Tezuka nodded again.

Closer investigation prompted, "Except it only has one shot left."

This time when Tezuka nodded, the reindeer antlers he'd slipped on his head bobbed forward.

Fuji blinked several times in rapid succession, piecing together the scene: the stoic captain, the blinking lights on the antlers, the loaded camera in his hands.

"One shot," Tezuka warned. "And no else is to see this. Ever."

Fuji considered this. "How many laps if someone does?"

"Fuji."

"Hai, hai. No one else. Smile!"  
"Don't push it."

Fuji laughed before lowering the camera. "Actually, I think I'm a little sick of the entire holiday season. Would you mind if I took the picture without them?"

Tezuka's brow furrowed in confusion. He'd thought Fuji would leap at the chance to capture Tezuka embarassing himself, particularly after how heated their rivalry had recently become. So why after all that would Fuji turn the gift down?

"Unless you enjoy wearing it?" Fuji asked when he grew impatient waiting for a response.

"No," Tezuka said quickly, grabbing them off his head and tossing them next to the santa pig. Fuji studied Tezuka then, a look intent enough to make the captain feel awkward. Fuji had always been prone to snapping random shots of him and most everyone else at school, but Tezuka had never actually posed for the tensai. It was a strange feeling, though not entirely unpleasant.

After a few more moments' thought, Fuji pointed at Tezuka's face and said, "Those as well, please."

It took Tezuka a second to process that he was referring to his glasses. "That wasn't a part of--" he began, but Fuji wasn't listening to him, already leaning in to gently remove the frames. As usual, Tezuka froze the second Fuji invaded the space so rigidly guarded against most people. Tezuka could feel the other boy's fingers brush against his temples as everything within five feet of him blurred into hazy suggestions of objects. He always felt horribly vulnerable without his glasses-- not truly being able to identify anyone or anything around him. For example, he couldn't tell why Fuji hadn't leaned away once he'd removed the glasses...

... until he felt the tensai's lips press against his.

Later, Tezuka would remember little of this kiss aside from a soft though forceful pressure and a taste that was part the sweetness of the cake Fuji must have sampled and part whatever wasabi-coated breakfast Fuji had eaten; an odd combination that somehow suited the moment perfectly. His brain chose to focus on this rather than what the tensai did after he pulled away, in fact registering nothing else until the flash of the camera bulb.

He scrambled for his glasses with an indignant, "That was--"

"I had to make it count," Fuji protested before Tezuka could complain. "Besides I already promised not to show anyone else."

Tezuka's brain hadn't gotten to the photo yet. It actually skipped right over the kiss and fixated on getting his glasses back in place. If he could see clearly, maybe he could think clearly again. He found them next to the discarded antlers, setting them as quickly as was dignified.

"Are you angry with me?" Fuji asked.

Vision cleared, Tezuka could see Fuji looking part defensive, part deeply worried. His eyes were open, looking right through Tezuka though they clearly would have been more comfortable looking somewhere else. Fuji was too proud to make excuses or look away from his own actions, though. Tezuka sighed. "I should be."

Fuji shrugged in half-agreement.

Tezuka was not usually one to analyze his own emotions (or anyone else's for that matter). He therefore found himself in unfamiliar territory as he searched for the anger that should have been there. But instead, all he felt was a little light-headed and somewhat nervous about the tensai's plans for that photo. "I'm not," he said.

Fuji exhaled, seeming surprised that he'd been holding his breath in the first place. Tentatively, he began, "Would you be if I did it again?"  
"There is no film left?" Tezuka verified, waiting for Fuji to nod before saying. "Then, no."  
This time the kiss was deeper, and Tezuka was aware enough to kiss Fuji back a little. And when that one broke, Tezuka found himself closing the distance for a third try. And a fourth. If this was the end result of all of their competitions, Tezuka decided he didn't mind if their rivalry remained intact.

A thought Fuji seemed to share as he paused to catch his breath and asked, "Ne, Tezuka, does your family decorate for Halloween?"

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_The EllipsesBandit...'s commentary:_

_Myu Reference #1, yes Oishi's dad is named after Zukki. _

_Myu Reference #2, the giant ham exists solely so I could make fun of Shirotan in the Winter Hyotei Myu. Anyone else know why he comes out for the curtain calls riding a giant stuffed pig in a santa hat? Cuz I don't, except that Shirota Yuu is a GIANT HAM!!! If you are not a myu fangirl, discard that conversation. If you are, I think that's 4 references total this fic._

_Yes, the EllipsesBandit… has gotten Tezuka's megane off again. It's my Christmas fic, and I want a megane-free buchou. So does Fuji._

_And that's it! Thank you all for joining me on my crack-holiday adventure. Am still working on the crossover with microgirl and one day we'll even post! I swear! _


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